The present invention relates to rotating light pattern modifiers or gobos.
A gobo is a device which alters a pattern of light to form a projected light pattern. Gobos have been used in stage lighting for a variety of special effects.
In the stage lighting context, the lighting designer often wants to select one of a number of different gobos for placement in the light beam. It is also desirable that the selected gobo be capable of rotation.
Different ways of carrying out the selection and rotation of gobos are known. One technique, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,738, locates a plurality of gobos on the periphery of a rotatable wheel. Rotation of the wheel places the proper gobo at the proper location. A separate device then rotates the selected gobo within the wheel.
Another rotating technique is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,303. This technique selects a gobo by rotation of a gobo wheel until the selected gobo is within the light path. All of the gobos on the wheel are simultaneously rotated by a central sun gear.